My Wonderful trip to edmonton (part 2)
I can sum today up in one word. That word is "wow."
I woke up this morning at 6am and Pat took me to the city center using the buses and LRT he does on a daily basis. It was a nice trip, he was telling me things about the city and what not. It was time well spent considering this was the first time i'd really had a conversation with him in person, in 7 months.
We got off at Churchill station and he walked me over to Canada place, then left for work. This was around 7:20am. If you've been inside it before, you know it's a pretty big place. There was a lineup, and I was at the back. I was there for about half an hour, before I saw someone I knew. I cut in line with them, which made a substantial difference in my chances of getting in to get my passport stuff done. There was 1000+ people in line waiting. I had gotten to know a few of the people that we were by pretty well. Really nice people.
There was one guy that was behind us that paid someone 200$ to cut in line near the front, which gave me an idea. The security was being negative, yet helpful in the same, asking people if they had all their IDs and everything, and they were saying that there was a slin chance that anyone about 20 people ahead of us and back would get it. So my Idea was that I would withdraw what money I could and try to pay my way to the front.
I had to call the bank to get my account limit raised to I could withdraw 100$, because the service fees were on top of the 100$ and that was my limit. When I was done, I went back to my spot, and Vanessa, one of the people I was with said that the guy who was behind us that paid 200$ to cut the line, came back afterwards and GAVE her 200$ (freely, no strings attached) to cut the line. So we pooled our 300$ together and managed to get a spot infront of some very kind people (and now really happy because of the 300$).
I finally got into the office about 1:45pm, and got to the screening counter at 2:15. The lady told me that I couldn't use my SIN card as ID because my signature on the back was out of date and didn't resemble closely, my current signature (i got it when I was 12). I felt so broken inside. She then told me that I could go to this place in the city center mall and get my alberta ID and use that. I was worried that I would have to wait in line where I to leave, but the lady gave me a slip that would pass me through to the agents once I went and got my Alberta ID.
I had applied for my Alberta ID on the 17th, so when I got to Accu-Search Insurances in the City Center Mall East around 2:20pm, the lady there was very helpful, and told me that I had to re-apply because they had already sent out my card. I thought I needed the actual plastic card to use it, because the Temporary one says that it is not Valid ID. So when I was back in Fort mac when I first applied I figured that I couldn't use that for my passport. So I paid the 25$ to get everything re-processed and all that jazz.
I returned to the Canada Place, at 2:25pm And got in line and was finally out of there at 3:45pm.
I ran to greyhound and called P and T, and Home as well. Then I found out the Fort Mac bus leaves at 4:30pm not 5pm. So I had cut it really close.
After all the waiting, throwing change into water fountains in the Canada place, praying to the Wishing Well Passport gods ( Our little group I think had the most fun out of everyone there haha) and singing, and Dancing. It was totally worth it, because I don't have to worry about recieving my Passport on time.
I love Edmontonians. They are so very compassionate and hospitable, which Is a drastic contrast to that of Fort McMurrites (The Immigrants, and Born-elsewhere-ers at least).
I took the bus ride back. The videos worked, and there was maybe 12 people on the bus for the entire trip back, and 8 got off at Grasslands for Lac La Biche.
Im home, Im exhausted, and I am content. And I left out some minor details as to Canada place, because I am so very tired.
-fin
I woke up this morning at 6am and Pat took me to the city center using the buses and LRT he does on a daily basis. It was a nice trip, he was telling me things about the city and what not. It was time well spent considering this was the first time i'd really had a conversation with him in person, in 7 months.
We got off at Churchill station and he walked me over to Canada place, then left for work. This was around 7:20am. If you've been inside it before, you know it's a pretty big place. There was a lineup, and I was at the back. I was there for about half an hour, before I saw someone I knew. I cut in line with them, which made a substantial difference in my chances of getting in to get my passport stuff done. There was 1000+ people in line waiting. I had gotten to know a few of the people that we were by pretty well. Really nice people.
There was one guy that was behind us that paid someone 200$ to cut in line near the front, which gave me an idea. The security was being negative, yet helpful in the same, asking people if they had all their IDs and everything, and they were saying that there was a slin chance that anyone about 20 people ahead of us and back would get it. So my Idea was that I would withdraw what money I could and try to pay my way to the front.
I had to call the bank to get my account limit raised to I could withdraw 100$, because the service fees were on top of the 100$ and that was my limit. When I was done, I went back to my spot, and Vanessa, one of the people I was with said that the guy who was behind us that paid 200$ to cut the line, came back afterwards and GAVE her 200$ (freely, no strings attached) to cut the line. So we pooled our 300$ together and managed to get a spot infront of some very kind people (and now really happy because of the 300$).
I finally got into the office about 1:45pm, and got to the screening counter at 2:15. The lady told me that I couldn't use my SIN card as ID because my signature on the back was out of date and didn't resemble closely, my current signature (i got it when I was 12). I felt so broken inside. She then told me that I could go to this place in the city center mall and get my alberta ID and use that. I was worried that I would have to wait in line where I to leave, but the lady gave me a slip that would pass me through to the agents once I went and got my Alberta ID.
I had applied for my Alberta ID on the 17th, so when I got to Accu-Search Insurances in the City Center Mall East around 2:20pm, the lady there was very helpful, and told me that I had to re-apply because they had already sent out my card. I thought I needed the actual plastic card to use it, because the Temporary one says that it is not Valid ID. So when I was back in Fort mac when I first applied I figured that I couldn't use that for my passport. So I paid the 25$ to get everything re-processed and all that jazz.
I returned to the Canada Place, at 2:25pm And got in line and was finally out of there at 3:45pm.
I ran to greyhound and called P and T, and Home as well. Then I found out the Fort Mac bus leaves at 4:30pm not 5pm. So I had cut it really close.
After all the waiting, throwing change into water fountains in the Canada place, praying to the Wishing Well Passport gods ( Our little group I think had the most fun out of everyone there haha) and singing, and Dancing. It was totally worth it, because I don't have to worry about recieving my Passport on time.
I love Edmontonians. They are so very compassionate and hospitable, which Is a drastic contrast to that of Fort McMurrites (The Immigrants, and Born-elsewhere-ers at least).
I took the bus ride back. The videos worked, and there was maybe 12 people on the bus for the entire trip back, and 8 got off at Grasslands for Lac La Biche.
Im home, Im exhausted, and I am content. And I left out some minor details as to Canada place, because I am so very tired.
-fin